"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Wordless Wednesday, almost: The Tricolour of Éire

The Tricolour in the distance, as seen from St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.

You walk by it, and may not think about what it meant, and what it means, to have those three colours flying together above the land. You probably don't think about how many lives were lost, and how many families were forever changed, in the name of all that those colours represent. It's just there, the tricolour of Éire, waving in the wind on a rainy afternoon, or flaccid in the air above a pub. We see it affixed to a grave marker and pinned to the bark of an obliging tree at Glasnevin. Whether it is stock still above us in the quiet of the stone breaker's yard at Kilmainham, or quietly at attention over the graves of the 1916 leaders on Arbour Hill, the Irish standard gently whispers to us of a past marked by struggle, and the determination of a people to survive.

The Tricolour above the Turk's Head on Parliament Street in Temple Bar, Dublin.

The Tricolour adorning a grave in Glasnevin...

...and affixed to a tree.

The Tricolour above the stone breaker's yard in Kilmainham gaol, site of the executions of the 1916 leaders.

The Tricolour on the right hand side at the burial ground of the 1916 Leaders, Arbour Hill Cemetery, Dublin.

For the history of the Irish Tricolour flag, see The National Flag from the Irish government Department of the Taoiseach website.

Thanks for your comments. It is so true, as you say, that the sight of the flag of one's country can inspire many deep emotions, and it should not be taken for granted. We, the family historians, have the job of keeping alive the memory of those who did so much to allow the flag to fly.

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Leave a comment, if you feel so inclined; I really appreciate comments. Also, when you have a moment check out the blog archive or click on 'Older Posts' to have a look at topics from the past. I hope the sun is shining on your part of the world today. Cheers! Jennifer